Hidden
by MoonlitePage
Summary: When mutants became the dominant species there really wasn't any reason for Charles Xavier not to declare himself as a telepath. Except for the bone deep instinct warning him against it. Which would have been fine, except he just so happened to fall in love with Magneto, one of the world's three most powerful mutants. And Erik loves him back. super powers, AU, cherik
1. Chapter 1

Charles Xavier was only 16 when it happened. Two super powered individuals, going by the names Apocalypse and the Black King, commandeered airwaves everywhere and with the help of a telepath known as the White Queen to reach those who couldn't watch or hear it, sent a message to the world. That their kind, mutants, would no longer live in hiding or fear. They were to be respected and revered by the humans, and all countries had to give up control to Apocalypse and the Black King or be destroyed.

What followed could have been called a war, but the term wasn't quite fair. The human militaries all fell quickly, and the only reason it took a year was that the mutants were trying to minimize damage to cities and the general populace. Almost one year to the day after the initial message the world called for a meeting with the mutant leaders, to negotiate the humans surrender. No one quite believed it but the meeting was set to take place in open water.

The human militaries sent warships instead and fired missiles at the mutants. It was a surreal moment to Charles as he and Raven watched a live broadcast from the safety of their home in England. One young man, only a few years older than Charles, stopped the missiles in midair with a single raise of his hand. With a flick of his wrist he sent over a hundred missiles back and decimated the navies of the world. He single handedly put an end to the conflict.

A proper surrender came quickly after and the world was split into three territories. The Black King, and his telepathic White Queen, ruled the Americas. Apocalypse took over Africa, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia. And the mutant who had stopped the missiles, known as Magneto, took over Europe from the UK through Russia.

Change happened quickly, at least at first. Mutants were free to use their abilities whenever, as long as they didn't endanger or hurt other mutants, and had other special privileges. Humans were not to meet their eyes, were unable to legally own property anymore, many were denied a college education, and they could no longer hold any high level (like CEO) or any government-based job. Raven jumped into the mutant movement immediately and often walked around with blue skin. She was quickly established as a leader in Britain, basically taking care of the area for Magneto when he was unavailable or occupied elsewhere. Which was often. It was thanks to her Charles was able to stay in his family's mansion and was able to finish his PhD.

Things had settled into an uneasy peace since. There were still the occasional fights between humans and mutants, but for the most part people were content enough to just let things remain as they were. Magneto was surprisingly lenient with humans, despite his initial rules stripping them of power, and most mutants didn't hold much of a bias against humans so they didn't abuse them. And through it all Charles had kept his mutation secret. Only Raven knew and despite her asking him multiple times "why?" Charles had no definite reason for keeping his ability quiet aside from a gut feeling telling him it wasn't time yet.

With a sigh he set aside the book in his hands, unable to focus on reading. His tea was half finished and cold on the coffee table and his eyes traveled to the window. What he wanted more than anything at the moment was to go for a run, but in the pouring rain he was sure to get sick. He set aside his book and wandered over to the window, watching as raindrops slid down. The grounds beyond his window were obscured, but beautiful as always and it put a smile on his face.

His quiet afternoon was interrupted by the intercom beeping. He hurried over to it and answered "Charles."

"Can you come down to the entryway? We have a guest coming." Raven requested.

Charles sighed. "Is it a mutant, Raven?" He asked as he started building up mental walls. He only knew of one other telepath in the world, the White Queen, but he wasn't willing to risk one entering his mind. He'd be exposed in an instant.

"Yes. A very important mutant." Raven added and Charles sighed again.

"Should I change into something nicer then?" Charles questioned.

"No, he'll be here soon. Just come down." Her voice was stressed in a way he wasn't used to hearing, since his little sister was usually quite composed.

"I'll be right there." He promised seriously before letting go of the intercom. He adjusted his sweater and left his study. It took him a few minutes to get to the front door, but he could feel Raven's panic long before he saw her. She was pacing in the entryway and Charles smiled despite shaking his head at her.

He gently touched her shoulders, making her stop her pacing. She turned to look at him and he offered her a reassuring smile. "You're practically radiating nerves, my dear. You have nothing to be afraid of. You're a wonderful host and I'm sure our guest will be perfectly content." He assured her and she offered him a weak smile.

"He'd better be or we could be in trouble." She countered, a hint of teasing in her tone that reassured him she was going to be fine. Charles squeezed her shoulders then stepped back. He was about to speak when he heard someone knock on the door, which made him jump.

Raven was already moving towards the door as Charles couldn't help being concerned. He hadn't felt the mutant's arrival and still couldn't feel their mind. It had never happened before and was unsettling to say the least. But then Raven was opening the door so Charles shifted closer to the wall, keeping his hands passively clasped in front of him and eyes down. "Welcome, Mr. Lehnsherr. Come in." She encouraged quickly, closing the door behind the arrival.

"Thank you, Mystique. You have a lovely home." The speaker was male, the accent German, and even his voice held power. Charles risked a glance and his body froze. Standing there was none other than Magneto, red helmet, flowing cape, and all.

"Thank you but I can't take the credit. It was Charles' and his family's long before it was mine." Raven replied and Mr. Lehnsherr actually glanced at the telepath when Raven mentioned him. Charles quickly ducked his head to avoid meeting the mutant's eyes.

"I assume he's Charles?" Mr. Lehnsherr questioned. Charles knew Raven nodded and Mr. Lehnsherr continued speaking before she said anything. "A shame he's not one of us." It was an obvious dismissal of the topic, but Charles could feel Raven staring at him. Silently, she was requesting he would tell the truth.

_*No.* _He ordered sharply, through his telepathy, and after a few moments she silently relented.

"A shame indeed." The comment was obviously directed at him rather than their guest. "Mr. Lehnsherr, if you would like, I can take you to your room while Charles gets started on dinner." Raven offered and he agreed. They left and Charles let out a soft breath. He glanced towards where Raven had led Mr. Lehnsherr before heading in the other direction, towards the kitchen. He and Raven usually ate a little later in the day, but he didn't mind making dinner early.

But what was really on his mind was the mutant upstairs. Charles wasn't sure how he felt about a killer staying with them. The man responsible for making mutants the dominant race on Earth. Someone who could potentially end both himself and Raven without much effort; it would only take a wave of his hand, unless Mr. Lehnsherr was helmet-less and Charles was somehow able to stop him.

Charles shook off those thoughts as he entered the kitchen. He couldn't think about it now; he just had to avoid upsetting the mutant until the man left and then he could go back to his quiet life. So instead he went to work gathering the things he'd need for dinner. He had planned on a less elaborate meal, but he knew Raven was trying to impress the man. So he decided to make one of his better dishes, an old family recipe that never failed to please.

He had just finished peeling everything when he felt a new mind nearby. A few moments later Mr. Lehnsherr entered the kitchen. He was dressed much more casually now in a black turtleneck, dark jeans that hugged his legs appealingly, and no helmet or cape. His hair was brown, his eyes a brilliant green, and his face was all sharp angles. Charles swallowed hard as he fought the desire to swoon. He hadn't been expecting someone so attractive under that helmet, and that was to say nothing of the man's figure.

"Charles, correct?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked, startling Charles from his thoughts and he nodded.

"That's me. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Lehnsherr." He replied politely with a smile. No matter what the man had done Charles wasn't going to forgo his manners.

He nodded stiffly as he looked around the room then glanced at what Charles had in his hands (carrots). "What are you making?" He asked politely as he moved closer and Charles set the carrots down on the cutting board.

"Pot pie. It's an old family recipe. Oh, is there anything you don't like or can't eat that I should be aware of?" Charles asked and Mr. Lehnsherr shook his head. "Alright. It'll be a little bit before this is done, so if you'd like to go somewhere to rest until then we have a lovely library." Charles offered but the mutant shrugged.

"Do you need any help? I'm not a bad cook myself." He offered and Charles couldn't help smiling at him. He expected the mutant to dislike him, or to treat him with disdain, and was rather pleased to know he was wrong.

"If you don't mind cutting vegetables for me I could get to work on the pie crust." He requested and the mutant nodded. Charles moved over to where he had everything set up to make the dough and got started, but kept an eye on Mr. Lehnsherr. To his surprise the man had actually rolled up his sleeves and started cutting the vegetables by hand. Charles had half expected him to use his ability to manipulate the knife. He was quite skilled anyway and Charles smiled to himself as he got to work.

It was nearing 45 minutes later when Charles finally assembled the pie and put it in the oven. Mr. Lehnsherr was seated at the island as Charles had run out of tasks for him to help with ten minutes before. The telepath washed his hands and set a timer before he looked at the man. "There we go. It should be ready in about 30 minutes. Are you hungry? I could make you a snack or some tea." Charles offered.

"Coffee?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked and Charles pulled the grounds out of the cupboard.

"Is this okay? I'm afraid we don't have anything else." He asked and the man nodded. Charles quickly brewed a cup for him. "Anything in it?"

"No, that's fine." Mr. Lehnsherr confirmed and Charles gave him the mug. "Thank you." He took it and took a sip. "It's good." He said and Charles smiled.

"I don't often make coffee. Raven and I usually drink tea." He admitted as he went to work making himself a cup of aforementioned tea. He added some honey before settling against the counter to drink it. The drink warmed his core wonderfully, though the kitchen was already quite warm with the oven on. It was a strange calmness as they both settled into silence drinking their drinks. He could still hear the rain outside and it added to the peaceful mood.

"So what do you do, Charles?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked suddenly.

"I just recently graduated with a PhD in genetics and currently I'm looking to get a teaching position at a university as a professor." He answered with a smile. The mutant actually looked impressed at that.

"Why genetics?" He questioned.

Charles shifted a bit, unsure how Mr. Lehnsherr would react before he spoke. "Because of mutants. Well, to be accurate, because of Raven. I found her, you know, when we were children. She had broken in and tried to steal food from us, but I caught her. She revealed her blue form to me and I insisted she stay with us. I adopted her. But I was always curious what made her different and I've been researching mutants and the genetic mutations behind them. I've made a lot more progress since mutants became public knowledge. It's fascinating, actually. Did you know there are distinct genetic markers that differentiate mutants from humans, but almost every modern humans has an early form or dormant version of the mutant gene?" Charles offered, vaguely aware he was probably rambling a bit but he was always excited to talk about it.

To his surprise Mr. Lehnsherr was watching him closely and seemed genuinely interested in what he was saying so he continued. "That's how ordinary people are able to give birth to mutants. Well, actually it's a cluster of connected genes and the exact sequences vary from individual to individual, of course. But those are just specifics. In a few years I should be able to tell not only if someone is a mutant based on their genetics, but also what ability they have. And then after that my goal is to compare the dormant mutant sequences in non-mutants and become able to determine which individuals would potentially be able to produce mutant children." He fell quiet as Mr. Lehnsherr's expression turned serious, almost sour.

"And why would you need that kind of information?" He asked firmly. Charles caught a brief flicker of his train of thought; glimpses of concentration camps, of a first person experience with the holocaust, of his fears that mutants would be treated the same way the Jews had been. And with Charles' knowledge they could be easily identified.

For a moment Charles felt overwhelmed and struggled to keep his expression pleasant. As Mr. Lehnsherr's expression didn't change and he didn't note any difference in his mind, Charles was fairly sure he succeeded. He took a breath before speaking. "If I were somehow able to do it, as there is no guarantee it's even possible, it would help to identify which children are more likely to be mutants, so that their parents can prepare to deal with a powered child and won't be caught by surprise when it manifests. It would also help the children to be prepared, so they don't hurt themselves or others." Charles explained. "But mostly it would be for my own satisfaction. The conclusion to all my studies, whether it's published or not."

Mr. Lehnsherr watched him for what felt like a long time before he finally seemed to accept what Charles was saying. Before he could say anything Raven entered the room, nude and blue just as she had been when Mr. Lehnsherr had arrived. The mutant didn't even blink in surprise and Charles was fairly used to Raven by now so it didn't surprise him either. "Smells great. What are you making?" She asked and Charles smiled at her.

"Pot pie." He answered and she brightened.

"Oh, it's been ages since we've had that. I can't wait." She said excitedly as she hopped up on the island counter. "Erik, Charles's pot pie is the best thing you'll ever taste." She added with pride to the mutant, who smiled to himself as he took another sip of coffee. Mr. Lehnsherr glanced at him as Raven continued speaking and something in his gaze made Charles feel embarrassed. He quickly turned around as he blushed, putting his empty cup in the sink to hide his burning cheeks. He couldn't explain why, but there was something about the mutant that was incredibly appealing to him and it went beyond just the other's looks.


	2. Chapter 2

Charles was attempting to focus on his texts, determined to finish reading the paper before the night was out. But he was not making much progress as he keenly felt the new mind at the mansion. Raven was already asleep, which left her mind muted, so the only other mind he could latch onto was Mr. Lehnsherr's. And while he couldn't say what exactly Mr. Lehnsherr was still doing up (he could know if he wanted but he was trying hard to respect the man's privacy as much as possible) his mind was racing.

Charles stubbornly focused on the text before his eyes, but had only managed to read about half a page (and reread much of it more than once on accident) before he realized Mr. Lehnsherr was quite close to him. Charles had just looked up when someone knocked on the door. He set aside his paper and opened the door to reveal Mr. Lehnsherr.

"Can I help you, Mr. Lehnsherr?" Charles asked politely.

The man paused, opening his mouth to say something, a question about Charles's interest in generics and his intentions in being able to identify mutants, only to decide against it. "Do you play chess?" Came out of his mouth instead.

Charles smiled and nodded. "I do. Fancy a game?" He offered as he opened the door wider to allow room for him to enter. The mutant did so with confidence, unfazed at entering the other man's space. Charles moved over to the shelf where his chess board was stored and chuckled. "If you can't tell by the dust it's been a while." He admitted with a chuckle as he grabbed a tissue and wiped the dust off.

Mr. Lehnsherr was smiling as well. "I won't be too tough on you, I promise." He teased and Charles laughed as he took a seat. He lifted the top from the box, which served as the board, and Mr. Lehnsherr lifted all the pieces with a gentle flick of his fingers. Charles set the lid back down as the man placed all the pieces onto the board.

"Care for a drink before we begin?" Charles offered and the man nodded. Charles quickly poured two glasses and then took a seat opposite of his guest. He noticed Mr. Lehnsherr had given the white pieces to him as he offered the drink, which was accepted. "A toast, to new friends." Charles declared and to his pleasant surprise Mr. Lehnsherr tapped their glasses, toasting with him.

"To new friends." The mutant agreed and Charles beamed before the two each took a drink. Charles almost chuckled when Mr. Lehnsherr groaned softly at the taste, apparently quite pleased. Charles said nothing though and only took his move on the board. Mr. Lehnsherr glanced at him before moving his own piece without even a twitch of his fingers.

They made a few more moves that way in a comfortable silence. When Mr. Lehnsherr finished his drink Charles said "You have impressive control over your ability, my friend."

The reply was a low, disinterested hum of acknowledgement. Charles couldn't help digging just a little and quickly realized why; the Black King, called Schmidt in Mr. Lehnsherr's mind, had "trained" him through torture to give him the control and power he had today. It took a lot of effort for Charles to bite his tongue, to keep from telling the mutant that he wasn't the monster he believed himself to be and that no matter what Schmidt had done it was still Mr. Lehnsherr who had done the work.

"Raven was quite worried about you coming, you know?" He finally said to break the slightly uncomfortable tension that had filled the room. That caught the mutant's attention and he glanced at Charles with raised eyebrows. Charles chuckled. "Indeed. She was worried about disappointing you. I haven't seen her so concerned in… well, ever actually. Usually she's too confident to care, even if it is a bit of a facade at times." Charles admitted and Mr. Lehnsherr chuckled as he took his turn.

"Yes, I have noticed that myself. It's rare she displays anything other than complete control." Mr. Lehnsherr agreed and Charles smiled as he silently wondered if the mutant had a romantic or sexual attraction to his sister. It would hardly be the first time a man chose her over him, though as the years had gone on Charles liked to think he had gotten better about not flirting with men who batted for the other team. And he had a feeling Mr. Lehnsherr was not one of them.

"She's always been that way. But I'm glad you seem to know there is more to her than just the persona she shows the world." Charles smiled to himself as he added "In a psychological sense."

Mr. Lehnsherr seemed to pick up on his little accidental word play and smiled as well. It softened up his face in a surprising way and Charles felt himself internally swooning all over again. When the man didn't looked like a stoic dictator he was movie star levels of attractive and Charles wanted nothing more than to drag him to bed and see what kind of man he turned into then. But instead he simply took his turn and settled back into his seat.

"You mentioned you adopted her. How old were you when you two met?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked.

"I was 6 or 7, something like that. And technically my parents adopted her, but they were often absent so I was the one who raised her. More or less. I can't take any credit for her control over her mutation, though. Unless she gets very upset she's always been able to hold whatever form she chooses." Charles explained.

Mr. Lehnsherr looked at him oddly for a bit and Charles raised an eyebrow in return, waiting for the mutant to take his move or say something. "And it was because of her mutation you became interested in genetics?" He finally questioned as he moved his piece.

"Yes and no. Even before I met her I had an interest in the sciences and when I began learning about genetics and genetic mutations in school they fascinated me. Obviously they never taught us about mutations like yours or Raven's and I believe myself to be one of the first to study them. I thought that by revealing the potential for mutants to co-exist peacefully with humans through my research they might be better received once 'discovered', so to speak, and I had hoped we would all be able to live in peace together." Charles admitted.

He wasn't surprised when Mr. Lehnsherr scoffed. "Humans always fear that which they believe to be different and usually react with prejudice and violence when confronted by it." He spat bitterly.

Charles hummed a vague agreement as he took his turn. "It was a child's dream, perhaps, a naive hope, but one I still believe to be possible. We've come quite close, actually, at least that I've seen within Britain. Neither side holds any serious prejudice against one another, save for the human's who lost jobs or were removed from school and the mutants who went through a less than pleasant upbringing because of their mutation. I do believe it's possible for us to live in peace and benefit from one another, and sooner or later humans will die out naturally as more and more of them have mutant children. There's not much reason to fight it since it can't be stopped so why not live in peace and let both sides try to benefit from our mutual existence?"

Once again Mr. Lehnsherr was watching Charles with an odd expression and Charles risked dipping just a little into his head to see why. The mutant had been pleasantly surprised by his optimism and intelligence. There was a strong undercurrent of attraction as the man seemed to notice for the first time how Charles looked. The telepath quickly pulled back as he fought down a blush; he didn't believe himself to be unattractive, but Mr. Lehnsherr's mind was giving him far more credit than he deserved.

Charles turned back to the chess board, unable to look into Mr. Lehnsherr's beautiful eyes, and quickly realized he could win. He made a small noise of surprise then moved his piece. "Checkmate." He said with a small bit of pride.

Mr. Lehnsherr jerked forward and studied the board intently with a frown that concerned Charles just slightly, but then the mutant sat back with a huff. "It's been a long time since I've lost." He muttered. He was radiating irritation, but the kind of playful irritation that led Charles to believe he was far more likely to demand a rematch rather than hurt him.

Charles chuckled as he began putting the board away. "We'll have to play again, if you plan to stay a few days." He said and Erik sat up.

"Next time I won't go so easy on you." He warned and Charles laughed as he put the board on the shelf.

"I look forward to it, Mr. Lehnsherr." He said with a wide smile. The mutant's thoughts were decidedly lecherous and Charles firmly stayed as far out of the man's mind as he could.

"Just Erik is fine, Charles." He said as he stood. Charles caught a hint of Erik hoping he would say the man's name and was thinking about what it might sound like with his accent.

"Well then, Erik, I had a lovely time but I must be getting to bed." He declared, making sure to say the man's name with just a hint of a purr. It was a tone that he had been informed by multiple partners was intensely seductive and Erik apparently agreed if the way his thoughts turned was any indication.

The mutant walked, or rather stalked, towards him. Charles felt his back press into the bookshelf as the taller mutant leaned over him, pinning him with his body. "You certain you have to go to bed so soon?" Erik whispered with a purr of his own that quickened Charles breath to a near pant. But he didn't look away from the mutant's face.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. But we should play another round again tomorrow." He offered a bit more breathlessly than he meant to.

Erik chuckled as he bent down and murmured into Charles's ear. "If you want to take care of yourself tonight, by all means you can. But do it thinking about me." Charles felt his breath hitch and his mind began to drift. Quickly he mentally scrambled to put up walls to keep from drifting into Erik's wide open mind. Thankfully the mutant pulled back and offered him a deviously attractive smirk as he looked over Charles's body from his toes up to his eyes. "Good night, Charles." Erik said before he turned and walked out of the room.

Charles couldn't move from his spot against the bookshelf for several minutes as he tried (and failed) to catch his breath. He glanced at the table and the two glasses left there, but decided they could wait until morning. He shut off the light as he left the room and closed the door with a click. He glanced briefly down the hall in the direction he knew Erik had gone before turning the other way and going to his own bedroom. He couldn't wait for tomorrow's game.


	3. Chapter 3

It took only three days for Charles and Erik to sync up their daily schedules. It always started with an early morning run, they would separate to shower and get dressed, then make breakfast and eat together. They would separate until lunch, Erik to whatever required his attention for the day and Charles to his job hunt. After lunch was usually much the same as the morning, with Charles focusing on his research instead of job hunting, and sometimes they were able to spend time together. And the evening, after dinner which they cooked together, was dedicated to light drinking and chess.

Except for today. Something in Eastern Russia had called Erik away sometime during the night and though Charles knew it shouldn't bother him he couldn't help pouting as he made lunch just for himself and Raven. Raven, of course, was laughing at him. "It's been ages since you've fallen so hard, Charles, but at least this time I can wholeheartedly approve." She teased, which only further his pout.

"I have not fallen for him, Raven. We're just very compatible, that's all." Charles replied.

Raven snickered. "Compatible, certainly. Does that mean you've thought about it?" She asked and Charles rolled his eyes.

"We've _both_ thought about it." He informed her and she squealed then gaped at him.

"You mean Erik likes you, you know he likes you, you like him back, and you two haven't at least slept together yet? What is wrong with you?" Raven demanded and Charles sighed. He turned off the stove and brought the pot over to the island. He remained silent as he filled the two waiting bowls, setting the remainder back on the stove. "Charles?" Raven asked softly, afraid she had gone too far.

Charles could feel her concern and offered her a smile as he pushed her bowl towards her. "You haven't upset me." He assured her, and he meant it. She smiled, a little less brightly than before, and started eating her soup as Charles did the same. The silence was heavy and Charles had half finished before he spoke again. "There's a reason I haven't tried anything with Erik." He offered slowly.

Raven sat up straighter and waited silently for him to continue. He took a breath before speaking. "I've heard the rumors and have even seen from his own mind that he prefers not being monogamous. He enjoys pleasure, which of course there's nothing wrong with, but... I just… I don't want to be just another notch on his bedpost." Charles explained.

To his surprise Raven chuckled at him. "Oh, Charles. You're the telepath and you haven't noticed the way he looks at you yet?" She said and he gave her a look.

"You know I try not to pry into others minds without permission and he's obviously expression attraction towards me, but that's not the same thing as romantic interest." Charles reminded and she just laughed.

"My dear naive Charles. I've seen Erik around his flings. What I have never seen is him start an encounter and despite how many people throw themselves at him it's rare he finds someone he deems attractive enough to actually take to bed. He's impatient about it and won't spend more than an evening returning their flirting and he never sleeps with them more than once." Raven said and Charles felt she was telling the truth.

"Raven…" He began but she held up a finger and he fell silent.

"He's never taken anyone else on his runs with him, not even bodyguards despite how many times the Brotherhood has expressed a concern for his safety. He's never cooked with anyone even around, let alone with someone. He's certainly never spent a week playfully flirting. He doesn't watch anyone the way he does you, like you're a piece of art and he's determined to memorize every detail. If that doesn't add up to a romantic interest then I'm not a mutant." She finished and Charles couldn't help but chuckle fondly at the stubborn look on her face.

He set down his bowl in the sink and went to work pouring the leftovers from the pot into a container. "You may be right, but even if you are and I acted on it, Erik would never _stay_ with me. He believes me to be a human, remember? Beneath him." Charles added and even without his mutation Charles was sure he would have been able to feel the incredulous look Raven gave his back.

"So you tell him. Problem solved." She suggested but Charles was shaking his head before she even finished.

"Raven, please, not this again. I've told you before, I can't explain it, but I just know it isn't time for me to tell anyone." He insisted. She looked put out but nodded.

"Fine." She agreed. She spent a few moments pouting as Charles collected her empty bowl, adding it to sink. He had just rolled up his sleeves when she spoke again. "So, if I can get him to confess he would like to at least try dating you, you two would finally actually do something about the sexual tension between you?" Raven offered and Charles couldn't help but laugh.

He looked at his little sister, who was offering him her patented I'm-completely-innocent expression, and released a breath before he nodded. "Yes. If Erik confesses he'd like to try dating and honestly means it that may become an option." He agreed and her smile turned deviously victorious. Her eyes flicked to something behind him and Charles turned to see Erik, in his full Magneto attire including his helmet, standing in the kitchen doorway.

Charles felt like the floor had just dropped out from under him and barely even heard Raven as she declared "Well, I'll leave you two to it." Her smile was wide as she jumped up from her seat and moved to walk past Erik. Only to pause chest to chest and look at him with a serious expression. "Hurt him and I promise you'll regret it." She warned before she ducked out.

Erik watched her go with wide eyes before he glanced back at Charles. "She's surprisingly scary." He said seriously and Charles laughed, but it sounded nervous. Erik studied him in silence for a few moments, his expression quite unreadable, before Charles cleared his throat.

"How much did you hear?" He asked softer than he intended. Erik straightened and walked towards him as he undid his cape, draping it over a chair. The silence was torturous.

"Just Raven's offer and your agreement." He finally said as he removed his helmet and Charles immediately knew he was telling the truth. He let out a little breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as guilt bubbled up into his throat.

"I see." Charles turned back to the sink and started washing the dishes, wanting to do something with his hands.

He heard Erik's footsteps approaching his back and only flinched slightly when the mutant's hands landed on his hips. Erik moved close, until they were pressed together and Charles could feel Erik's breath on his hair. "Charles." He purred and the telepath swallowed. "Did you mean it?"

Charles nodded stiffly, all thought of cleaning the dishes forgotten. "Yes." He finally said softly and Erik's hands tightened. His fingers, firm from hard work but with soft skin, slipped under his shirt to stroke his sides. Charles could feel the mutant's satisfaction, made all the stronger by their skin on skin connection, and it made the telepath dizzy. He found himself leaning against Erik's chest just to remain on his feet, and Erik certainly didn't complain.

"Shall we give it a try then? Dating?" Erik whispered and Charles shifted, trying to turn and face him. Erik tightened his grip so he couldn't and the mutant nuzzled against his shoulder, hiding his face. Were it anyone else he would have effectively hid his uncomfortable-ness, but Charles could feel it. He could also feel a warmth that uncut any negativity and made him feel treasured, loved.

He was so caught up in what he was experiencing he forgot he should say something, given an answer, and only realized it when Erik began speaking again. "I've never met anyone like you, Charles. Someone who can… play with me and who is willing to challenge me. Someone I love to listen to and could spend hours watching do just about anything. You make me want to keep you all to myself, put you somewhere safe were only I can see your bright eyes and wonderful smile. But the thought of going out in public, of letting everyone know this brilliant gorgeous man is _mine_, that's pretty attractive too." Erik trailed off and Charles smiled.

He reached up and ran his fingers through Erik's hair, something he had wanted to do for ages. It was silky but not quite long enough to really catch. Still, he stroked Erik's hair and twisted to place a kiss on his head. "I think you're giving me too much credit, love, but thank you. I think you are equally brilliant, far more than you give yourself credit for, and I enjoy every moment we get to spend together. I want to be with you more than I've wanted maybe anything, but I have to be sure. Are you really okay with me not being a mutant?" He asked softly.

Erik stiffened behind him, the man's hands going still. For a few heart stopping moments Charles was afraid of rejection. Erik's mind was racing through the pros and cons too quickly for Charles to catch most of them and finally Erik sighed. "I know I shouldn't be. Humans are supposed to be beneath us and I'm sure En Saba Nur and Schmidt will be furious with me when they found out. But I can't bring myself to care. I want _you_, Charles, mutant or not, and I don't care what they think." He declared and Charles smiled.

The telepath shifted and Erik let him turned around. Erik's expression was determined, with a hint of concern. Charles couldn't help smiling as he reached up and cradled Erik's face with his hands. The mutant closed his eyes at the touch and Charles stepped closer, pressing his forehead to Erik's. "I want you too." He said softly and immediately a change came over Erik. His emotions flared white hot with happiness, the tension in his shoulders faded, and even his signature little smirk was more of a smile. Erik grabbed his hips almost roughly and tugged the telepath close.

Charles chuckled when they bumped into each other and wrapped his arms around Erik's neck to hold him. Erik responded by wrapping his arms around Charles' waist. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying getting to touch one another, but Charles could feel something was on the mutant's mind. Erik brought it up before long. "I have a request." He began and the telepath smiled, waiting for him to continue. "It may seem unreasonable at this point, since we've only just gotten together, but…" Erik pulled back slightly and held out his hand towards his cloak.

The coat rustled and something flew out of it to Erik's hand. He showed it to Charles; it was a piece of metal, about the size and shape of a finger. "It's a special alloy, made of iron, iridium, antimony, and enough vibranium to make it virtually impossible to break. The only alloy like it in the world. I can sense it from almost anywhere because it has such a unique signature. I'll turn it into a bracelet or something but I want you to wear it. Because of who I am someone might try to hurt you to get to me. If you have this, if something happens, I'll always be able to find you." Erik explained.

Charles smiled softly and touched the metal piece before he nodded. "Okay." He agreed and Erik kissed his head.

"Thank you." He said gently before he took Charles's left hand into his. With his right he began to manipulate the metal, wrapping it around Charles' wrist until it formed a band and merging the ends. "There. No one will be able to take it off except me and I'll always be able to find you." Erik said as he ran a finger over the metal.

"It's beautiful." Charles complimented and Erik chuckled.

"Here, watch." The metal began shifted and images formed, carving themselves. In the center was two chess pieces, two kings leaning against each other, identical to the ones from his personal set. To the left, on the side with the black king piece, formed Erik's symbol, the symbol of the Brotherhood. To the right side with the white king piece was the Xavier family crest. And the other half of the bracelet, on the underside of his wrist, was covered in two sets of footprints running side by side. "There." Erik declared.

Charles smiled at him, looking between the bracelet and Erik. "Thank you." He said.

"You're welcome." Erik replied. Charles leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth before pulling back.

"Hungry?" He asked and Erik nodded. Charles turned back to the fridge but Erik caught him around the waist. Charles just chuckled and let his boyfriend (to be able to say it to even just himself made the telepath giddy) hold him as he filled up a bowl with soup. It was still warm, having spent only a few minutes at most in the fridge. Erik accepted the bowl and tugged Charles along with him into the living room, where they settled onto the couch. Everything about the moment felt right and Charles hoped they would make many more memories like this one over many years to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Charles was pouting, felt half covered in flour, and Erik, who was on the floor also covered in flour, was laughing at him. Though it didn't make much of a difference, since Erik's hair was already practically white, he swept a pile of flour from off the countertop onto Erik's head before he sat down on the floor next to his boyfriend. Erik was still snickering to himself but reached out and brushed Charles's cheek gently with his thumb.

Erik was radiating amusement and it was infectious. Charles couldn't help his softening expression and his pout morphed into a smile. "This is going to be such a hassle to clean. Too bad flour isn't metallic." Charles groaned, playfully aspirated, and Erik chuckled.

Charles shifted, pressing himself against Erik's shoulder and the mutant wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him closer. "I could still help you get clean if we share a shower." He offered softly in Charles's ear. The telepath laughed, twisting slightly to face Erik and kissing him. Only to immediately regret it as he inhaled and choked on flour.

Erik was no help as he started laughing, but he rubbed Charles' back until he stopped coughing. "Are you alright, liebling?" Erik asked and Charles nodded as he settled against Erik once again.

"Yes, I'm alright. Thank you. What does liebling mean?" Charles asked. He had an idea, since Erik radiated fondness and love when he said it. But Erik didn't know that.

"It translates to darling, love, sweetheart, or honey. Something like that." Erik informed him and Charles smiled brightly at the mutant.

"I like it." He declared and Erik chuckled, tightening his grip a little.

"Good." He purred and Charles kissed his cheek.

"Now, love, as much as I'm enjoying this, we really do need to get cleaned up or we'll be having a very late dinner." Charles reminded. Erik hummed noncommittally in agreement before he shifted, moving away from Charles. Then Erik scooped the telepath up as he stood.

Charles yelped at the sudden movement and quickly wrapped his arms around Erik's neck. The mutant had no trouble holding him and Charles had to admit it was a turn on how easily Erik could carry him. After the initial fright had worn off Charles relaxed, settling against Erik's chest. "You startled me." He complained jokingly.

"I meant to." Erik countered playfully as he set his forehead against Charles's. He pulled back before he started walking. Charles risked a glance over the mutants shoulder as they walked away from the kitchen and winced. It looked like a flour bomb had gone off and they were leaving a very noticeable trail behind them as well.

"Maybe for tonight we should just order out." Charles suggested and Erik laughed. It was a genuine one, that encompassed all of Erik's face. He had been laughing more and more like that lately and Charles couldn't help feeling proud he was the reason.

It was just his luck then that, at that exact moment, they ran into Raven in the entryway opening to door to let someone in. Several someones, Charles quickly noted, all of them mutants. Six sets of eyes were stuck on him and Erik and all Charles could feel from them was a general collection of disbelief, all of them asking _*Is that Magneto?*_

Erik, to his credit, didn't look or even feel embarrassed. The warmth had drained from his expression, leaving him more stoic, but he was confident. It was a pretty good look on him, Charles had to admit as he studied his boyfriend's face. Though he did like Erik's smile best. "I didn't expect to see you all this early." Erik said.

The mutants, who had filtered quietly into the room, all bowed to Erik before one young man, Hank McCoy Charles caught from his mind, spoke. "We didn't mean to interrupt you, sir, we just arrived earlier than anticipated."

"No doubt due to your excellent piloting skills. Well, since you are all here, introductions. You all know Mystique, of course, and this is her brother, Charles." Erik glanced at the man in his arms with a soft smile, an expression the others had never seen on him before, which was immediately returned with a bright one from his boyfriend. "Now, we need to get cleaned up." Erik added before he started walking.

They bowed as he left out of habit and the moment he was out of the room everyone immediately whirled to face Raven. "What was that?" Angel demanded.

"I told you. Erik is dating my brother." She said.

"Yeah, but you didn't mention they were disgustingly affordably hopelessly head over heels for each other!" Sean complained. "Jesus, even you and Hank aren't that mushy."

Raven just rolled her eyes. "Since you're all here, why don't we start cleaning up that mess they made?" She gestured at the trail of flour. Sean groaned. Hank grabbed him by the back of the neck and started dragging him forward.

"Come on. We owe Mr. Xavier this much if he can make Magneto smile like that." Hank reminded. Sean pouted and muttered complaints under his breath but still accepting the cleaning supplies from Raven and went to work without a fight. It took them about forty minutes to clean everything up to Raven's satisfaction and neither Erik nor Charles had yet to make an appearance.

"It's too late to wait for the lovebirds to come cook so let's just order something for dinner." Raven decided. She pulled out a few takeout menus and laid out their choices. Things devolved quickly as they couldn't agree on anything and it was to that scene that Erik and Charles walked in on. Immediately the telepath started laughing at the sight, leading the rooms occupants to freeze in place.

Alex had been chasing Sean around the table trying to get the menu from him and collided with him when Sean suddenly stopped, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Three others, including Raven, were at the table but several were pointing at different items on various takeout menus. Hank was obviously trying hard not to get involved but had a pad of paper in front of him with a few notes, things people wanted to order Charles assumed.

Erik massaged his temple. "If I remember correctly, you are all adults, yes? So what is this behavior?" He looked each and every mutant in the eyes and they all shrunk down in their seats obviously embarrassed.

"Erik, love…" Charles tugged on the front of Erik's shirt and the mutant looked at his boyfriend, the hard look in his eyes fading immediately. "Don't be to hard on them. They're just having some fun and they did clean up for us." He reminded.

"Yes, alright, fine." Erik agreed, sounding irritated. It was the kind of tone that, when heard by other mutants, they scurried to get out of his way as quickly as possible. But Charles beamed at his boyfriend and fixed his shirt before facing everyone again. Erik grabbed Charles around the waist, tugging the telepath back against his chest. Charles didn't even flinch, just relaxed into Erik's possessive hold.

"I apologize for not greeting you all at the entrance and thank you very much for cleaning up the mess Erik and I made. I really appreciate it." Charles said sweetly. "Have you decided what to order yet?" He asked. It took a little maneuvering with how tightly Erik was holding onto him but they managed to walk to the table without separating.

Charles looked over the notes Hank had made of what everyone wanted and quickly realized it would take a bit of coordinating to make everyone happy. Erik remained a steady silent presence at his back as Charles put together a menu for dinner with everyone's input, which Raven took to place the order.

"Liebling…" Erik said softly.

"Hm?" Charles hummed as he turned to look at the mutant as best he could. Erik tugged him gently over a seat and pushed him to sit. Erik claimed the seat next to him and moved close, unconsciously wrapping an arm around Charles as he watched the younger mutants. They began joking around, Alex and Sean in particular were lively.

Raven settled into her seat next to Hank and Erik sat up. He only had to clear his throat and immediately had the undivided attention of every mutant in the room. "I assume Mystique has told you who Charles is to me?" Erik asked and they nodded. "Good. You should all be aware that he is not a mutant and I am expecting you all to protect him." Erik said.

"Of course we'll protect him, Erik." Raven replied without hesitating. Erik nodded as Charles smiled. Neither man was surprised by her answer. Hank and the others nodded as well as Erik looked at them one by one.

"Good." Erik said before he settled back against Charles. Charles leaned over and kissed his boyfriend's cheek and was pleased when Erik blushed.

"Your concern is touching, love." He said sweetly before he looked at the other mutants. He could feel how protective of him they already were and it warmed his heart. "And thank you all for being willing to look after me." Charles added and got smiles in response.

The doorbell rang then. Sean and Alex leapt up from the table, racing to get to the door first. Raven sighed as she slowly got up and followed after them. The trio returned shortly after, arms loaded with food. It took a bit of organizing to get everyone their appropriate dishes and the meal was a lively affair. Charles enjoyed every minute of it, despite how much the many thoughts were pushing on his mental barriers.

The food was practically demolished and everyone was much less energetic now, slumped in their seats with full bellies. Erik had been nuzzling at Charles's neck for the last ten minutes and the telepath certainly wasn't opposed to the attention. A phone started ringing and the mutants trailed off. Erik groaned into Charles's shoulder, radiating frustration, before he sat up and pulled out his phone.

"Magneto." He answered seriously. Charles could feel the irritation coming off Erik in waves and took the mutant's hand in his. Stroking it lovingly Erik relaxed a bit, listening to whoever was on the line. He growled when the person fell silent. "Fine. I'll be there shortly with backup." Erik hung up without waiting for a response.

"Everything okay?" Charles asked and he shook his head.

"Not exactly." Erik stood, quickly followed by the others in the room excluding Charles. Erik kissed his head. "I'll be gone for a few days. Mystique, Beast, stay with him." Erik ordered and the couple nodded, their expressions serious.

Charles stood up and kissed the corner of Erik's mouth. "Stay safe, love." He requested and Erik smirked as he ran his fingers down Charles' cheek.

"Be back soon." He promised before he started walking. The others followed him, excluding Charles, Raven, and Hank. The dining room felt unusually silent after the noise the other mutants had brought. Finally Charles started mechanically cleaning; storing leftover food in containers, washing the dishes, wiping down the table.

He had just finished when Raven touched his shoulder and he looked at his sister. Her smile was sympathetic and she was radiating concern. She reached up and wiped away a tear Charles hadn't even realized had fallen. "He'll be fine, Charles. He's Magneto."

"But he's not invulnerable." Charles countered but Raven just laughed.

"Maybe not, but you think he would let anyone hurt him seriously enough that he couldn't come back to you? Not a chance in hell." She said.

Charles smiled weakly, grateful for her assurance, as he said "Watch your language, Raven." She laughed and quickly kissed his cheek.

"Everything will work out." She promised and Charles nodded. He wanted to agree with her, but there was a little pit of uneasiness in his stomach that made it difficult.


	5. Chapter 5

Charles had made multiple mental notes to thank Hank for everything the young mutant had done for him since Erik had left to deal with whatever had called him away. Hank, after discovering Charles's interest in genetics and his personal lab at the mansion, had monopolized most of his time. They had discussed many different things, in particular things pertaining to mutants, and Charles had made some excellent strides in his research thanks to Hank.

'Could the genetic code be manipulated to give an individual a chosen mutation?' was the question they were currently working on. Charles was comparing the four mutation sequences he had managed to isolate (Erik's, Raven's, Hank's, and, unknown to his fellow scientist, his own) while Hank was working on potential methods for delivery.

"There's no way to just… edit the DNA directly, correct?" Hank called from his place down the table, without looking away from the microscope.

"No, no way." Charles confirmed without looking up from screen and Hank hummed, just the tiniest bit frustrated. They returned to a relative silence, as they both enjoyed classical music in the background as they worked. Charles had made a few more notes on the similarities and differences between the sequences when Hank spoke again.

"A retrovirus maybe?" He offered.

Charles considered it for a moment. "Yes, a retrovirus could work." He agreed as he went back to his work. Slowly he felt eyes on him and turned to look at Hank, who was staring at him. "Hank?" He questioned.

"What did you say?" Hank asked, confusing Charles. Hank was also confused, radiating it, and watching him suspiciously.

"I agreed that a retrovirus could potentially work to deliver the desired DNA changes." Charles said and Hank's eyes went wide.

Charles caught the thought before it came out of Hank's mouth._ *I didn't say that out loud.*_ Charles hesitated, unsure how to respond, but Hank beat him to it. "Are you a mutant, Charles?" He asked and Charles sighed softly before he nodded.

"Yes, I am. A telepath." He confirmed, as he could feel Hank about to ask.

"But Magneto… Magneto said you weren't one of us." Hank commented, still radiating confusion, and Charles nodded. Slowly Hank's expression shifted as he took a seat near Charles. "Does he not know?" Hank asked quietly.

Charles shook his head as he folded his hands in front of him. "No. He doesn't. In fact, until just now, the only other one who knew was Raven." Charles informed him.

Hank looked unbelievably confused and his thoughts were racing. It was almost difficult to keep track of. "I… How? Why? Why wouldn't you come out if you're a mutant?" He finally asked and Charles let out a breath.

"It would be easiest to simply share it with you. Do you mind?" Charles asked, his fingers hovered near his own temple. Hank shook his head and his fingers landed. Hank's mind was easy to find and further away in the mansion he could feel Raven's. But he kept his mind isolated to just Hank's and projected the feelings and memories needed to explain why he hadn't informed anyone of his ability.

The exchange took only seconds and Hank sat there looking almost dazed for a few minutes afterwards before he looked at Charles. "How powerful are you?" He asked almost breathlessly and Charles shrugged with a weak smile on his face.

"I don't know. I've never really tested my limits much before. I know I can freeze someone in place. I can send or suppress someone's memories. Obviously, I can read minds and I always have a surface level connection to everyone around me, so I pick up feelings and loud stray thoughts." Charles explained.

Hank looked ready to start taking notes, and was actually considering it, and Charles chuckled briefly before he sobered. "You can't go telling anyone, Hank. And no notes either." He added.

"That's incredible! You can pick up thoughts that easily?" Hank was nearly falling out of his seat he was leaning so far forward.

"Most of the time." Charles confirmed. "I try not to, and I especially try not to dig any deeper than the surface because it feels invasive to just go through a person's inner thoughts. But people often project, sometimes quite powerfully, and they can be difficult to ignore."

Hank sobered a bit and studied Charles face. "Erik really doesn't know."

"No." Charles confirmed. "And it isn't time to tell him yet."

Hank was about to object, but then he recalled what Charles had shared and sighed. "No. I guess it's not. I wonder what's guiding that instinct though. It's strange."

"I couldn't tell you." Charles admitted. "I only know that from the moment revealing my identity became an option something in my head was telling me 'not yet'. And I couldn't ignore it even if I wanted to."

"Maybe you have some prophetic gifts? There have been plenty of mutants with both telepathy and some version of future sight." Hank offered.

"I don't know, but I don't think that's the case. This is the only instance in my life it's ever happened." He said.

"The only instance you know of. If it's subconscious, it could have been subtly guiding your actions for years, like an advanced form of a sixth sense, and you'd never know the difference." Hank offered and Charles chuckled.

"Hank, as fascinating as this may be, we are still in the middle of another scientific research project. Perhaps we should finish that one first?" He reminded gently and Hank jumped.

"Oh, right. You're right, Charles. Sorry." Hank said.

Charles could feel how bad he felt for getting them so far off topic and he offered his fellow scientist a smile. "It's alright, Hank. I am well aware of how naturally curious you are and I'm no different myself." Charles assured and Hank nodded bashfully before he returned to his seat. "And I'll try not to reply to your thoughts again." He added lightly and Hank smiled at him.

"Not like it matters since I know, but it is a little strange to experience." Hank admitted and Charles laughed. Raven had told him the same more than once when he was younger, so he couldn't help it. But having Hank aware made him start to think about Erik. And, for perhaps the first time ever, he really wanted to tell someone about his gift no matter how loudly his instincts were screaming NO. But he didn't dare. Because he knew Erik and the metal bender would hate him for keeping his telepathy a secret.


	6. Chapter 6

"Erik!" The taller mutant didn't even stumble when Charles basically leapt on him the moment he was through their front door. Erik just chuckled and wrapped his arms around Charles' waist as the telepath linked his ankles behind Erik's back. Charles kissed him several times on his lips and jaw, all to Erik's chuckling as his hands stroked Charles's sides.

"Miss me, liebling?" Erik asked softly and Charles nodded as he leaned back, keeping his wrists behind Erik's neck but wanting to see his boyfriend's face.

"Very much." He admitted without hesitation and Erik smiled. He tipped Charles forward and kissed him again. This one was longer, deeper, more passionate but also sweeter, and then Erik gently set Charles on his feet. Charles wasn't going to complain, given how tightly Erik's arms were still wrapped around his waist. "Were you hurt at all, love?" Charles asked.

Erik just smirked and shook his head. "Of course not." He promised, but even without his ability Charles would have known it was a lie. He gently brushed the fading bruise on Erik's jaw with his thumb but said nothing. "I'm fine, I promise." Erik assured, his tone unusually gentle, and Charles offered him a smile because this time he was telling the truth.

"Are you hungry? I have ingredients for dinner." He asked, to break up the small amount of tension in the air, and Erik tugged him closer to his chest.

"As much as I enjoy cooking with you, that's not what I'm hungry for." Erik purred in his ear and Charles couldn't help the delighted shiver that ran through his body as Erik's desire flooded him like a wave. He smiled and pulled Erik's collar as he started walking backwards.

"Come on, then." He encouraged and Erik went along with him eagerly. When they got to the stairs (Charles had been keeping an eye on them through Erik's vision so he didn't trip on them) Erik suddenly scooped him up so they were chest to chest.

Charles's yelp turned into a laugh and he nestled into Erik's chest, relaxed into his hold and wrapped his legs around Erik's torso. Charles could feel something was on Erik's mind, something was bothering him, but he didn't want to dig deeper to find out. So he just rubbed Erik's back, worked on massaging out the knots, and even got a deep groan from the mutant. Charles chuckled softly at that. "Would you like a massage, Erik?" He offered soothingly.

Erik shifted and tipped him back slightly so they could look at each other. Charles just offered him a small smile and waited for him to speak. Erik searched his face as they continued to walk or, rather, Erik continued to walk. Charles could feel something was on his mind; he was projecting something strongly enough Charles knew it was important to him. But what exactly Erik was thinking about he couldn't tell without a little digging and that felt invasive.

Charles heard a door open behind him and Charles assumed Erik had used his mutation since his hands hadn't moved from Charles' bum. Erik carried him into Charles' bedroom, the door closed, then Erik turned them around, pushed Charles against the door and kissed him. Charles melted instantly; he couldn't help it. The kiss was passionate and affectionate and while Erik was skillfully taking him apart with just the kiss it was the feelings he was projecting through their skin contact (the German's hands were cradling his face and his thumbs stroking the telepath's cheeks) that made Charles truly helpless.

Charles felt treasured, loved, protected and it made him tingly and warm from head to toe. He was being enveloped by Erik's red hot desire and lust. His pulse was elevated and he was gasping the moment Erik pulled back far enough he could. "Erik." Charles moaned and Erik licked his lips, all kinds of lewd thoughts projecting through their skin.

Erik smirked and started nibbling his neck. Charles gasped softly, tilted his head to give the mutant better access, and cradled Erik's head with his fingers laced tightly into the man's hair. He was utterly at Erik's mercy, but didn't want to change a thing. He pulled Erik closer with his legs only to freeze when Erik flinched.

Of course Erik noticed and pulled back slightly. "I'm fine." He promised but Charles pushed at him until finally the German stepped back a little and let him slide to the floor. Charles kept his arms around Erik's neck, holding the man close as he studied the German's face.

"Can I see?" Charles asked softly. He was worried; he couldn't help it. Not when it came to Erik, or anyone really, but especially Erik. The man gave him a look but Charles didn't back down and Erik sighed.

"Alright." He agreed softly, much to Charles's surprise. Charles smiled at him as he took hold of the bottom of Erik's shirt. He pulled it free then gently eased it over Erik's head. There was only one bruise on his chest, a fading fist sized mark on Erik's left ribs. Charles traced the edge of it with gentle fingers and a concerned frown on his face.

After a few moments, Erik gently took hold of his fingers. He lifted them up and kissed Charles's knuckles. "I'm fine, liebling." He promised and Charles nodded. He could feel Erik was telling the truth, but he couldn't swallow the knot of worry in his throat.

"What happened?" He asked softly.

"I was taking apart some weapons and one of the rebels got in a lucky punch. That's all, Charles, and it only happened because he wasn't wearing any big metal and I was focused on something else. It won't happen again." Erik assured.

Charles swallowed as he nodded. "I was so worried about you. And this time you got lucky. What if something happens in the future?" He had to bite his tongue before he could add 'and I can't help you' out loud.

"It won't." Erik wrapped his arm around Charles's shoulder and tugged him towards the bed. Charles went without a fight. "Even if something happens to me, no matter how hurt I am, it won't keep me from you." Erik promised.

Charles lined the taller man's face with his hands and set their foreheads together. "I know." He finally said quietly. Erik tugged him gently forward and they fell onto the bed. It took a bit of shuffling to get comfortable. Erik was leaning back, resting against the pillows while Charles lay next to him and used Erik's torso as a pillow. Just under his ear was Erik's heart and it was a soothing sound to listen to.

They stayed just like that for a while, in a peaceful silence. Just breathing. Charles was basking in Erik's contentment, transferring all the stronger through the fingers tracing shapes on his back. "I want to go out with you, Charles." Erik said suddenly and Charles chuckled softly, twisting his head to look at Erik.

"Aren't we already?" He asked and Erik smiled a little.

"That isn't what I meant, liebling. I want to go out on a date in public with you. I want to go to dinner and take you to a museum so you can spend the whole time teaching me about art. I want to go to the theater and go on picnics in the park. I want to show you off and I want everyone to know that you are special to me." Erik said.

Charles shifted, pushing himself up to his elbows as he studied Erik's face. The German was honest and genuine and Charles couldn't help smiling. "I would love to, Erik, nothing would make me happier, but won't you get into trouble for it?" Charles reminded softly.

"I'm the ruler of this territory, Charles. I think I would know if it was illegal. And it might even be good. If the humans in the territory think there is a human close to me, one who could intercede and speak to me on their behalf, it might help settle some of the current tension." Erik added and Charles nodded as he considered it.

"I suppose that makes sense." Charles agreed. He shifted forward and kissed Erik's jaw before settling on his chest again. "And I would absolutely love to go on a date with you. Hopefully more than one." He added playfully.

Erik chuckled and Charles felt fingers run gently through his hair. "Tired, liebling?" Erik asked softly and Charles shrugged.

"I'm just glad to have you home safe. I was worried and haven't slept well with you gone." Charles admitted. He hadn't expected it (though he should have) but without Erik in his bed his telepathic mind would go wandering. It had before, but now it wasn't content just settling in Raven's nearby mind. He _craved_ Erik's and his mind had been subconsciously searching for the metal bender every night regardless of the strain it was putting on his body.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a rush of love filled Erik's mind and pushed all coherent thoughts from Charles's head. It was warm and soothing and Charles settled further onto his chest as his body went lax. "You can sleep. I won't let anything happen to you." Erik promised.

"I think I'll take you up on that." Charles mumbled quietly. He could feel sleep pulling at him as his body released the tension from his spine and his brain settled against Erik's in an unobtrusive way. Erik wouldn't even notice it, but for Charles it was like the best relaxant and painkiller mixed. As he nodded off he felt Erik place a soft kiss on his head and he could hear Erik humming.


	7. Chapter 7

Charles felt oddly proud as he got out of the car, dressed in one of his better suits and Erik standing beside him looking absolutely dashing in his. Erik offered his arm and Charles linked their elbows. They were getting looks from everyone, of course, mutants and humans alike. Their thoughts were loud. Everyone was curious who he was, since they all knew Erik, and many were concerned or cautious. After spending so long in the relative isolation of the mansion, being in a public space again was almost overwhelming.

Charles was just grateful Erik didn't notice his slight pause and led them inside the restaurant with a gentle grip on Charles's arm. Charles couldn't help moving a little closer to Erik; he had never been much of an introvert but with all the eyes on him Charles was already feeling anxious. They were greeted by the host the moment they entered the high end restaurant and he led them to a somewhat isolated table with an excellent view of nearby Central Park.

Charles was doing his best to ignore the judgement of 'Magneto's pet human' radiating from the host. Erik must have noticed it too because he stepped forward to pull out Charles's seat for him before the waiter or host could. Charles smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, love." He said sweetly before he sat down. Erik even pushed his chair in and kissed his head before taking his own seat in a way that radiated innate power. Charles had to admit; seeing Erik effortlessly self confident like that it made his pulse pick up just a little.

The host certainly noticed their display and shifted his stance a little. Outwardly he looked no less professional, and even offered a pleasant smile to Erik when the mutant looked at him, but Charles could feel he was put off. Charles felt like he should be more concerned at the obvious speciesism the mutant had, but since it was coming from an almost pridefully protective feeling towards Erik Charles couldn't fault the man for it.

"Your menus." He set them down before taking a step back. "Please, don't hesitate to ask for me if there's anything I can do for you, Magneto." He added. Erik nodded once, the mutant bowed briefly, and then they were left alone.

It was less tense than Charles expected and quickly he was enjoying himself. It was great, actually, to be out in public with Erik. Eating and drinking and just enjoying themselves. He could feel the other restaurant patrons eyes on them constantly and he picked up on their thoughts easily as most were projecting. Quite loudly. They were almost all mutants and while a few of them concerned about Magneto obviously doting on a human, most were just innocently curious about him. There were a few that were even jealous, not of Charles (though there were certainly more than a few who were), but of Erik.

The food and drinks were excellent, not that Charles expected anything less. And by the time they had finished eating he was slightly buzzed and had once again gotten used to the other nearby minds pushing against his. Erik had relaxed too, as more time passed. "Enjoying yourself?" Erik asked after a beat of silence and Charles nodded.

"Of course. Are you?" He asked, despite knowing the answer, and Erik nodded. Erik was going to ask him something else, Charles caught that much of his thought, before Erik suddenly sat up straight. Charles didn't have time to figure out whatever had caught Erik's attention as less than a second later one of the restaurant walls exploded.

Charles barely had time to register the explosion before he was yanked from his seat, pulled by the metal bracelet on his wrist. He curled up on the ground and reached out with his mind as dust and smoke filled the air, making it tricky to see anything. Erik was nearby, unhurt and keeping track of him through the bracelet.

There were others in the room who were hurt, Charles could feel their pain, and he slowly started to get up. He stayed low as a dozen human minds entered the restaurant. They were armed with guns and wearing masks, part of a mutant resistance group, and they were here to kill Erik. All of that he gathered in a matter of moments and then the fighting started.

Charles didn't dare stand as bullets and mutant powers clashed throughout the room. There was almost no order to it and since basically no one could see properly he was sure to be hit if he tried getting up. He reached out for Erik telepathically, and was thankful his boyfriend was unharmed. He was doing fairly well against the humans, since most had at least some metal on them (not that Charles was surprised by that in the slightest), but Charles could feel Erik's growing concern for him.

He sat up a little and opened his mouth to call out, to reassure Erik he wasn't hurt, when out of nowhere there was a gag in his mouth. He gave a muffled cry, but there were two humans holding his arms while the third tied the gag behind his head. He tried to pull free, but they didn't let him go. Not that he expected them too. "Forgive me, we don't want to hurt one of our kind, but it's necessary." One of them, the one who tied the gag, whispered in his ear.

He was dragged to his feet and felt something press into his lower back. A glimpse into the holder's mind said it was a gun. Then there was a needle stuck into one side of his neck and he gave a soft whimper while another of the rebels pressed a sharp glass knife to the other side of his throat. He froze in place, knowing full well that fighting was a terrible idea.

"Magneto!" The rebel with the knife shouted over the commotion. Immediately the gunfire stopped. The smoke cleared quickly (a mutant outside blew it away) as Erik turned to face them. Charles realized that almost all of the other mutants had disappeared from the room though the restaurant host was still hovering near the front door, with a gun aimed at him.

Erik stiffened up when he saw Charles and let out a legitimate growl. He took a step forward, only to stop when Charles flinched as the glass knife was pressed hard enough to draw a thin line of blood.

"Don't try it. There's no metal anywhere on my body and you couldn't kill me before I sliced his throat. And even if you did you wouldn't have time to kill him too before he injects that poison." The man holding the knife warned. Charles wondered briefly why the third with the gun hadn't been mentioned, then realized Erik probably couldn't see him. An extra backup, just in case. They had planned this carefully, specifically with Erik's mutation in mind.

Erik took a step back and held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "Alright." Erik conceded and his eyes meet Charles. "Are you hurt?" He asked and Charles shook his head slightly, since the gag made it impossible to talk. "Good." Erik said, and he even offered Charles a flash of a smile, before returning his stoic attention to the rebels. "What do you want?"

"What we've always wanted. You and your kind, gone. Surely you can afford to give up control of just one city when you've got the rest of the world." The knife wielder informed him.

"And what, exactly, do you think would happen if I did?" Erik asked. The human hesitated, and Charles caught that he didn't quite understand what Erik meant, but Erik continued before anyone could speak. "If I and all the other mutants living in London were to leave, what would you do? The population would go down drastically. It's been years since there were any humans in any emergency services. You'd have no government system in place. And there is every possibility that Apocalypse and the Black King will simply wipe this city off the map rather than waste time taking you out individually. Or worse, they'd take control of it themselves. I, and the current co-existence we have, is the _least_ of all evils in this situation." Erik informed them.

The human with the knife sputtered and Charles felt a little sympathy for him. Erik had completely and utterly killed his argument before it had even really begun. "I don't…" The man started, and fumbled.

"Tell me, since I took control of this territory over ten years ago, have you ever gone hungry? Ever not received care when you needed it for any reason other than your own ego? Ever been afraid, late at night, that some thief would come and hurt your family?" Erik continued, not giving the man a chance to speak.

The knife wielder's mind was whirling, but as Erik had suggested the man hadn't experienced any of those things. He was struggling to get wind in his sails again and keep his anger towards the mutants strong. Charles had to admire Erik a little bit for how easily he had diffused the man's argument. Erik watched him think with a calm expression on his face. It was a careful mask, because Charles could feel his growing concern about the situation escalating. About Charles being hurt.

Charles saw him first. A human with another glass knife, creeping up behind Erik. He had it raised, ready and already moving to strike. _*Behind you!*_ Charles sent desperately, almost on instinct, to his boyfriend. Erik twisted, dodging the knife and taking the man wielding it down easily enough. Charles let out a soft breath of relief.

Erik kept his back turned to them as he scanned the room for threats, but Charles caught his projected thought. _"Charles? Is that you?"_

_*Yes, love, and I'm so sorry, Erik, for not telling you. I swear I will explain everything as soon as this situation is taken care of. You can hate me then but please, give me a chance to explain first.*_ Charles answered, pleaded.

Erik was understandably angry and felt betrayed, but it was wrestling with the warm love he still felt. Charles almost sent his own love to the metal bender, but he didn't want to influence Erik like that. Slowly Erik straightened up and turned back around to face them. His eyes were cold, but there was still a hint of concern in his expression. _"Can you take out the humans?"_ Erik finally asked. It felt detached and lacked any of Erik's usually playfulness or casualness when talking to him. Charles didn't like it one bit.

_*I can try.*_ He agreed. He turned his focus to the men around him. All three were distracted, focused on Erik, and it was simple enough to get into their minds and plant a strong suggestion. One they couldn't ignore. It was trickier without being able to speak out loud but his order to _*Sleep.*_ took.

Even so there was a few seconds before the humans were affected. Almost in slow motion they started to sink to the ground as a group. Charles let out a soft breath, glad this was going to be settled relatively peacefully, when a single gunshot ran out. The whole room jumped and even though he knew he'd been shot it took a moment for the pain to set in. His knees had buckled instantly and he dropped with a cry as the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life spread rapidly through his body.

Then Erik was at his side with a desperate, pleading "Charles." He groaned as the metal bender shifted his body and laid him on his back.

"Hurts." He whimpered and Erik tightened his grip.

"I need a teleporter!" Erik practically shouted and the other mutants nearby went into a flurry of movement. Charles only noticed distinctly, as the pain made it hard to focus on anything but clinging to Erik. "Stay with me, liebling." Erik insisted gently and Charles nodded.

Slowly, as Erik steadily grew more and more impatient, Charles became aware that he couldn't feel his legs. "Erik, I can't…" He mumbled breathlessly and had to take a moment to catch his breath. "I can't feel my legs. Erik, I can't feel my legs." He repeated, and fear began to set in quickly. He desperately tried to move his legs, his toes, to feel or do _anything_, but he couldn't.

"Stay strong for me, Charles, I'm going to get you help." Erik promised, but despite his calm reassuring tone Charles could feel the fear radiating from him too. The metal bender shifted his grip and picked Charles up. Charles couldn't stop the scream that was ripped involuntarily from his throat at the movement. Erik flinched and held him close. "I'm sorry." He whispered as he started moving.

Charles felt, more than heard or saw, the teleporter arrive and then they were whisked away. They landed in a hospital and Charles nearly whimpered because his shields were crumbling and already he could feel _everyone_ in the building. The patients and their pain, their desperation, their depression, their anger. Their family's concern, their grief, their heartache. The nurses and doctors exhaustion and their regrets.

He barely noticed as Erik set him down on a bed, though the movement sent more pain rocketing through his body. "He needs something for the pain." One of the nurses said and Charles panicked.

_*NO!*_ He wasn't sure if he projected it telepathically or said out loud, but he knew at least Erik had certainly heard him. "Don't let them. Please, Erik, no pain killers. Please." He pleaded desperately.

"Charles." Erik faltered, his mind rapidly trying to figure out why Charles was demanding no pain killers. Thankfully a nurse filled him in before Charles had to.

"He's a telepath. If we give him a painkiller all his mental shields will go away." The nurse informed him. Charles assumed he must have projected at least something then, that they heard, because otherwise he had no clue how they knew he was a telepath.

"And he'll feel everyone in the building." Erik interpreted. Charles cried out again as another jolt of agony ran through his body when the bed rattled. He was crying, he could feel the tears on his cheeks, but he couldn't stop them. Everything hurt. "Hey, you, go to the Westchester Mansion, get Mystique and bring her here with my helmet. Now!" Erik ordered suddenly.

Charles assumed it was directed at the teleporter because there was a distant poof, followed by one less mind pushing on his. Though one mind being gone didn't really make a difference anymore. His range was well past the walls of the hospital now; he was feeling the mutants and humans on the streets outside and in the nearby buildings. Probably a whole city block, maybe further, but he didn't want to look closely enough to find out. He clutched his head and silently (or maybe out loud, he really couldn't tell anymore) pleaded for it all to just stop.

"Give him the shot." Erik ordered, his voice distant. Charles made a noise, an attempt at an objection, but he couldn't say anything coherent. They gave him the shot and it felt like only seconds before it kicked in. His whole body went tingly and then numb as his mental walls shattered. He screamed again at the rush of mind pushing against his. He could feel all of London, at least. Probably further. Somewhere, in the deepest part of himself that had always remained untouched by anyone else, he realized he was projecting his pain. The hospital staff in the room had crumpled unconscious almost instantly, as had most of the hospital's other occupants. The people on the streets were clutching their heads and one driver had even crashed his car.

It was a cacophony of overwhelming pain and fearful, confused thoughts drumming in his brain, interrupted by the teleporter returning with Raven. The teleporter fainted immediately and Raven dropped to her knees holding her head. And then, suddenly, there was absolute silence. The change left him slightly dazed and Charles slowly brushed the helmet on his head with trembling fingers. Erik's helmet. The metal bender stood at his side and was panting heavily, but looked otherwise alright. He brushed Charles's cheek lightly with his fingers, just under the front of the helmet, and the telepath could only savor the touch for only a moment before Charles felt his eyes roll back in his head and he blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

_Charles was aware he was dreaming but... it didn't feel like a dream. He felt very real, very present, as he floated in a blank expanse. It was almost like when he had tried extending his reach outward, just to see how many minds he could touch at once, except this time there was no one in the space. No one but him. It was blissfully silent without all the other thoughts pushing at his shields, at his mind, and it was a strange feeling to him. His ability had manifested so young he didn't even remember a time when he couldn't feel everyone around him._

_"Is this how normal people think? It's so quiet." He realized, and the thought echoed through the space almost as if he'd spoken it out loud. It was ominous, that echo, and Charles felt himself instinctively reaching for nearby minds, particularly Erik's or Raven's, for comfort. To know that he wasn't alone. But there was nothing. His projections were blocked. His thoughts were only his own and were contained in his own head. _

_"I don't like this." The phrase was almost whispered, in his childhood voice no less, but it quickly filled the space and gained volume as it echoed over and over._

_"I don't want to be alone!"_

_"Please. Somebody, anybody!"_

_More thoughts rapidly joined the first, echoing louder and louder until it was beating on his consciousness like a drum. A rapid heartbeat. It made his panic increase, which in turn elevated his desperation and filled the space with more pleas._

_"Can you hear me?"_

_"Don't leave me!"_

_They pounded against the outer wall that he couldn't penetrate, the one keeping him contained in his own head, and echoed back louder each time. He felt alone. He felt afraid. He wanted to scream._

It was to his own scream that he woke up. For a moment he could only gasp, whimpering softly as tears fell down his face. And then there were gentle hands cradling his cheeks, gently wiping the tears away. Familiar and comforting hands. "Hush, it's alright, liebling. I'm right here. You aren't alone." Erik murmured gently and slowly Charles's heart decreased from its rabbiting pace. He took a few deep breaths through his nose and the scent of Erik's skin, the warmth on his face, helped him to calm further.

"There you go. You have nothing to fear. I'm right here." Erik continued soothingly and finally, slowly, Charles opened his eyes. The lights in the room were dulled, leaving the room in a pseudo-darkness. But Charles was grateful that at least it wasn't bright enough to make his eyes burn. He barely even took in the room before his gaze landed on Erik.

The mutant looked exhausted as he sat on the side of Charles's bed, still stroking his cheeks with gentle fingers. "How do you feel?" Erik asked.

Charles considered the question. Mostly, he just felt numb. And alone. Very alone. "Tired." He answered softly and Erik nodded. "What happened?" Charles asked quietly, with just a touch of hesitance.

"You were shot." Erik said and he nodded. "A teleporter brought us to this hospital." Erik continued and again he nodded. That much he remembered. "You were in a lot of pain, but they staff didn't want to give you anything because it would eliminate your mental shields. I couldn't stand seeing you like that and realized that if I gave you my helmet you wouldn't need your shields. So I sent the teleporter to get it, and Raven, and told them to give you the painkiller."

Charles nodded again. Though it was hazier, he remembered all of that too. "I… made a mistake. The shot took effect before we had my helmet and, well." Erik looked _nervous_ for some reason and took a deep breath. "You pretty much instantly knocked out the whole city block. Everyone but me. Everyone else in London got at least a headache; most felt more. And I've gotten reports of a telepathic disturbance being felt at that same time from as far away as Moscow."

Charles swallowed and opened his mouth only to close it again when he couldn't think of what to say. Finally he just whispered "I'm sorry."

Erik shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. I just don't think any of us expected you to be so powerful. I'm a bit impressed, even, that you've managed to keep your mutation a secret until now considering you're the most powerful telepath on the planet." Erik said and Charles swallowed again. His throat felt very dry.

He reached out slowly, with the arm that didn't have the IV, and touched Erik's wrist. "I'm sorry, Erik, for not telling you." He said.

To his surprise Erik smiled and touched his hand, holding it in place. "I was angry at first, I'm sure you know that. I felt betrayed. But then you were hurt and I couldn't stand to see you in pain like that. And when you knocked out the block, I realized that I must be special to you in some way because you didn't hurt me. Even Raven wasn't unaffected, and neither was I, not completely, but I certainly didn't faint and wasn't in pain like everyone else. And, after you fell unconscious, while the doctors were working on you, Raven told me why you had kept it a secret. And, since I knew you couldn't influence me with the helmet on, I considered how I felt and realized I didn't feel any different towards you." He explained.

"Of course. I would never want to influence you like that." Charles offered him a smile which the mutant returned. It was a warm moment and Charles hated to break up their little moment of peace, but he had to know. "My injury?"

Erik nodded and took a breath. "It could have been worse. Much worse." He started and Charles swallowed. "The bullet went into your lower back, right into your spine. It should have gone all the way through your body. It would have caused a significant amount of internal damage and almost certainly killed you before the doctors could save you. But the bullet had stopped, just barely past your spine. The doctors believe it was me, subconsciously trying to protect you by stopping the bullet."

Charles squeezed his hand and Erik squeezed his back. "It did shatter that part of your spine and caused a lot of nerve damage. That's why you couldn't feel your legs. It had effectively paralyzed you and they said that if you hadn't had a mutant doctor you would have been permanently and completely paralyzed from the waist down."

"Oh god." Charles couldn't help whimpering as that sunk in. He was paralyzed. Erik squeezed his hand again, drawing his attention back to his boyfriend.

"It's okay, Charles. It's not that bad. They were able to heal the bone damage and some of the nerve damage. The lower down in your legs the more it's affected by the nerve damage so while you probably won't be able to wiggle your toes, not for a long while at least, you shouldn't need any medical tools to go to the bathroom. You will have to use a wheelchair, probably for the rest of your life, but they did say that with time to heal and proper physical therapy you should be able to walk at least a little. Though you'll probably always need some form of assistance like a cane or a walker." Erik explained.

Charles let out a breath then nodded. "It could be worse." He finally agreed and Erik nodded, but his expression was still forlorn. "What is it?" Charles asked softly and Erik sighed.

"I'm sorry, Charles. You being hurt is my fault. I…" Erik started and Charles was well enough aware of Erik's tendency to berate himself to stop the mutant before he got any further by placing his fingers on Erik's lips.

"You didn't do this, Erik. You had no way of knowing about the gun. And neither of us could have predicted that he would pull the trigger on the way down. So don't blame yourself." He insisted. Erik hesitated and Charles gave him a look. "I don't even need my mutation to know what you're thinking right now, Erik, and I'm telling you. I do not blame you for this and you have no reason to blame yourself." He emphasized the statement carefully and Erik sighed.

"I have a feeling it's going to be much harder to keep things from you from now on." Erik said and Charles couldn't help laughing.

"I hate to tell you, love, but you didn't keep them from me before either. I just never mentioned it." Charles corrected gently and Erik scowled, which made him laugh again. "Don't feel too bad. Here, I'll tell you a secret. The day you came back, in my room, it was less the physical things we were doing that were affecting me and more the feelings you were projecting through our skin. I'd never felt so… loved before. So treasured. And it made me crazy for you." Charles informed him.

Erik's smile was distinctly more of a smirk and he leaned in close to whisper "I'll keep that in mind for the future. Sounds like an excellent way to make you hungry for me."

Charles couldn't help shivering, only to inhale sharply when his lower back moved and sent a sharp spike of pain through his body. Erik's expression flicked to concern in an instant and Charles just weakly offered him a smile as he ran his fingers over Erik's cheek. "I'm alright, love." He promised.

He focused on his breathing and slowly the pain faded again. Erik was silent but took Charles' hand from his face and held it. "Should I get the doctor, liebling?" Erik asked and Charles shook his head.

"Not for that, but I do want to know when we can stop the pain killers so I can take your helmet off. As much as I enjoy wearing something of yours, I feel so… alone." Charles admitted. Erik sighed softly and reached out to stroke Charles's cheeks again. "And it's not the most comfortable thing to sleep in." He added to lighten the mood and Erik smiled.

"No, I would imagine not. But you are not alone." Erik promised and Charles smiled.

"I know. It just feels so strange to be alone in my head. I manifested young and I barely remember a time before I could hear everyone's thoughts." Charles admitted. Erik shifted, watching him as he listened. Charles smiled a little. "I actually thought I was going crazy. For two years, before I finally realized the voices in my head were actually in everyone else's."

Erik stroked his cheek soothingly. "I can't imagine." Erik said and Charles swallowed.

"When I remember what you've been through I think I was actually very lucky." Charles said and Erik jerked. "I didn't mean too, Erik, I promise and I've never dug so I don't know everything. But when I first talked about identifying mutants through genetics you were very loudly projecting about your… time in Germany. With Shaw. And your worry about it happening again with mutants."

Erik had started to stand up and Charles grabbed his hand to stop him. "Erik, you are not the monster you think you are. There is so much good in you. I know you don't believe me but once I can I will show you." Charles promised. Erik faltered and his breath was heavy. He still stood at arms length, but hadn't pulled free from Charles's grip. Charles was unsure how Erik was going to react and was wishing more than ever he had his ability so he could have some insight into what Erik was thinking.

Slowly Erik's expression shifted and he sighed before he sat back down on the edge of the bed. Charles squeezed his hand, but waited for him to speak. Erik was silent for a painfully long time before he finally spoke. "You know why I'm upset, then?" Erik said, in a strangely detached voice, and Charles nodded.

"What Frost did, what Shaw let her do to you, was horribly wrong and I never want to hurt you like that. It's been my goal not to invade your privacy, anyone's privacy, like that. It's just difficult sometimes not to." Charles whispered and Erik nodded.

"I believe you. You are far too kind hearted to do something like that." Erik said and finally his expression softened, turning into a small smile. Charles was quick to return it. "Just… ask permission in the future." Erik ordered and Charles nodded.

"To the best of my ability." He agreed and Erik nodded.

"I imagine it would be impossible to stop entirely, given how powerful you are." Erik conceded and Charles nodded.

"Indeed. And I am so sorry, Erik, for invading your privacy." Charles said, as sincerely as he could. Erik nodded and squeezed his hand.

"I know. Now, sleep, liebling. You are still very hurt and you need to heal." Erik insisted and Charles nodded as he felt an unusual flash of fear at the thought of being alone.

"Stay? Please?" He whispered and Erik smiled as he moved, sitting up against the headboard near Charles's head, and Charles leaned into him. Erik held him and it helped settle his rising anxiety. And then, in no time at all, he was asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Charles had never been more grateful to be home than he was at the moment. One week in the hospital had been more than enough for him and he was grateful for his persuasive powers (even without his telepathy) because he was able to convince the doctors to let him go home. Namely by reminding them that decreasing his painkillers and taking off the helmet would both be better tested at his home in the country away from everyone else to avoid another incident.

It was only once Erik parked the car that Charles realized they had a problem. The path to the house was gravel and his room was on the second floor. And he had to use a wheelchair. Erik noticed his apprehension right away, of course, once the mutant got a look at his face. "What's wrong?" He asked and Charles just sighed then motioned to the house.

"Gravel walkways and stairs are not exactly wheelchair compatible." He pointed out and Erik raised an eyebrow.

Erik scooped him up gently and set him down in the wheelchair he had placed next to Charles' door. He stayed bent over, leaning close to Charles' face with a smile on his own. "Well, luckily for you, your wheelchair is metal and you just so happen to be dating a mutant who can control metal." Erik teased before he straightened up and with a flick of his hands lifted the wheelchair off the ground.

Charles yelped and grabbed onto the arms while Erik laughed. "Erik! A little warning would have been appreciated!" Charles scolded and Erik laughed harder.

"Sorry, liebeling. I promise not to drop you." Erik assured, though his tone was still colored with warmth and Charles slowly settled into the now hovering wheelchair as Erik started walking, moving the wheelchair along easily. And Charles had to admit it was kind of nice; the ride was smooth, of course, and he was glad he wasn't going to wear himself out pushing the wheelchair through gravel so he could still handle pushing himself around the house.

It was also much faster and they got inside in no time. To Charles' surprise, the entry hall was filled with people. Raven and Hank and the others in Erik's Brotherhood whom Charles' had met. "Welcome home, Charles!" Raven called, louder than necessary when they entered. All Charles could do was smile in response, and once again he hated the fact that with Erik's helmet on he couldn't hear any thoughts. He didn't know if Raven was happy to see him or overwhelming worried. He didn't know what words to offer her, to reassure her, that he would be just fine.

All he could say was "Thank you very much, Raven." Erik gently set down the wheelchair with only the slightest bump as it hit the ground. Erik stepped up close to him and set a hand on his shoulder. Charles placed his own hand on Erik's and offered the man a thankful smile. It was strange to have to look so far up to see Erik's face, but the returning smile from the mutant made it worth the crick in his neck.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked almost anxiously. Charles could tell she was nervous, unsure what to do, even without his telepathy.

"Uh, good, all things considered. My head feels a little empty." He offered lightly, in the hope he could lighten the atmosphere, and she cracked a smile. After a moment he added "I am very sorry, Raven, for hurting you."

"I know you wouldn't have done it intentionally, though I will admit it was a surprise. I'm just glad you're alright." She returned and Charles nodded.

He looked at the others, who were watching and waiting. Hank offered a warm smile when Charles met his eyes. Alex and Sean both gave him nods. But Darwin and Angel both looked wary of him; Angel far more so and once again Charles wished he could know why. He wasn't used to navigating conversations like the one that was Angel looked like she wanted to have without his ability.

"And I'm sorry to the rest of you, if I hurt any of you when I lost control." He added.

"We _all_ know you wouldn't have done it by choice." Hank declared pointedly before anyone else could speak and Charles couldn't help relaxing a little at the show of support. "But you should head upstairs and rest. You are still healing. I fixed up your room as best I could to accommodate your wheelchair…" Hank paused for a moment then his expression sank. "But the stairs might pose a problem. I'm so sorry, Charles, I didn't even think about that before." Hank began but Charles just shook his head.

"I think Erik and I have it covered, but thank you, Hank. I'm sure what you did will be very helpful." Charles reassured and the man slumped, obviously relieved as he returned Charles' smile with one of his own. Charles did sort of wish everyone wasn't staring at him as he reached for the wheels, because while he'd had some practice in the hospital he was still awful at steering it and embarrassed how regularly he had to stop because his arms would get tired.

Before he could even touch the wheels though the whole chair started moving on its own. "You aren't meant to be doing anything strenuous, Charles." Erik reminded softly, almost playfully, as he guided the chair to the stairwell. Charles sighed, tempted to object for a moment before he set his hands in his lap.

"Thank you, Erik." He said after a moment. He really was grateful; already his back was starting to hurt. The doctors had warned him he shouldn't spend much time sitting up just yet, but he'd stubbornly insisted on going home. And while he didn't regret it he was aching for his bed right now.

When they reached the stairs Erik lifted the chair into the air and brought him upstairs in a smooth motion. They both remained quiet as Erik pushed the wheelchair down the hall to Charles' room and only set the chair down once they were inside. Charles couldn't help the shaky inhale when he saw how it had changed.

The furniture had been rearranged to make room for his wheelchair in between the pieces and most everything he used regularly had been moved to be easily reachable from his wheelchair (he suspected Raven had a hand in that). There were metal constructions near his bed which hadn't been there before, designed to help him move from the wheelchair to the bed on his own. He glanced in the bathroom to see it had been adapted too.

"Charles?" Erik began and the telepath twisted to look at him. "Are you alright?" He asked and Charles took a deep breath.

"I just… seeing my room modified because of my injury…" He trailed off, unsure for one of the first times how to phrase what he was feeling. He wasn't upset, necessarily, or angry or even disappointed. It just sort of felt abruptly and abundantly _real_. That he was in a wheelchair and would be for the rest of his life. He would struggle to get dressed and struggle to get into or out of bed. He'd had to use handles to get in and out of the bathtub or sit while in the shower. He couldn't use his current sink or mirror. He didn't even know if he could use the toilet standing up anymore.

Two warm, strong arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. "Shh, I'm here." Erik promised softly and Charles clutched at his arms as his hands trembled. "I've got you." Erik continued softly. "You aren't alone now and you won't be going through this alone. I promise."

Charles let him stay just like that for a few seconds, until the taller man's warmth had settled into his shoulders, and then he asked in a quiet whisper "help me into bed?"

Erik squeezed him gently and placed a kiss on his neck before he pulled back. He stepped around the wheelchair and as soon as the mutant had knelt Charles wrapped his arms around Erik's neck. Erik picked him up easily enough and carried him over to the bed. He was laid down extremely gently and Erik took a seat next to him.

"Better?" He asked and Charles nodded. It really did feel good to be lying down, to take the pressure off his lower back even if it meant Erik's helmet was pressed against his head. The edge even dug into the back of his neck, but it was still far more comfortable than the hospital bed.

"Yes, thank you." He answered and Erik offered him a smile.

"Did you just want to sleep or would you like to take a bath first?" Erik offered and Charles shook his head.

"No, I think I just want to rest. Cuddle with me?" He requested and Erik nodded. He got up and moved around to the other side of the bed. Charles couldn't help admiring the view as he did. Erik kicked off his shoes before joining Charles and Charles almost groaned when Erik gently eased him into the taller man's chest.

Erik was so warm. Charles had been warned by the doctors that since his circulation was worse than a normal person's, at least in his legs, and because he couldn't feel the cold there he'd have to be careful about keeping himself from getting too cold. But even so, this felt like heaven. The tension in his body slipped away as he settled again Erik.

Erik made an irritated grunting sound and Charles looked up at him. "Everything alright, love?" Charles asked and Erik frowned.

"I can't play with your hair while you're wearing that helmet." Erik grumbled and Charles couldn't help laughing.

He reached up and gently stroked Erik's face with his fingers. Erik leaned his head into the touch. "I want it off too, Erik. I just don't want to hurt anyone by doing it while on painkillers."

"I know. You are much too kind for anything less. Now sleep, liebling. You need your rest." Erik insisted. Charles chuckled softly before he nodded. Being curled up so close to Erik, being so warm and comfortable, it made sleeping much easier than at the hospital.


End file.
